This invention relates to the filling of containers with pressurized fluid, and more particularly to a system and apparatus for automated filling of pressurized fluid containers.
Generally, the filling of pressurized fluid containers, such as cylinders for holding a liquified refrigerant gas, entails the exhausting of residual air from the cylinder to thereby create a vacuum condition within the cylinder and the supplying of pressurized fluid to the evacuated cylinders. The cylinders generally are provided with a manually operable valve. This valve includes a threaded nozzle which is employed for charging and discharging the cylinder.
In order to evacuate the cylinder the integral manually operable valve is opened and the cylinder is connected to a vacuum pump by a pipe or line having a threaded connector which mates with the valve nozzle. After the desired vacuum is attained in the cylinder, the cylinder valve is manually closed and the threaded connector is removed from the valve nozzle. The cylinder is then connected to a supply of pressurized fluid by a supply line also having a threaded connector for connection to the valve nozzle. After connection of the supply line to the valve nozzle, the cylinder valve is again manually opened to allow the flow of pressurized fluid into the cylinder. After the cylinder is filled to the desired amount, the cylinder valve is manually closed and the threaded connector of the supply line is removed from the valve nozzle. The filling operation will typically also include the manual operation of a flow control valve in the pressurized fluid supply line. As can be appreciated, the connection and disconnection of the vacuum and fluid supply lines to the integral cylinder valve and the repetitious opening and closing of this valve are undesirable labor-intensive time consuming operations. Further, there is a significant loss of gas to the ambient environment each time the pressurized fluid supply line is disconnected from the manually operable valve on the cylinder.